Joint Implant Makers' Payment More than $200 MillionJoint Implant Makers' Payment More than $200 Million

The companies must also update the information quarterly and disclose nonmonetary payments like trips. The 2007 payments were as follows: Zimmer $85.8 million, DePuy $48.8 million, Stryker $27.8 million, Biomet $19.6 million, and Smith & Nephew $19.3 million.UPDATE: More than 40 surgeons have received payments of $1 million this year, including two in Boston who received $6.75 million each from DePuy, reports the Boston Globe. The article explains why -- they designed a knee implant and a hip implant and licensed it to J&J. Most other media outlets probably wouldn't have bothered to explain the context. The fact that payments exist is not the problem. It's only a problem when the payments are made for little or no work, or for marketing purposes only. The Globe understands that, but it might be too optimistic to expect that from most of the rest of the mainstream media.